A problem with legacy heroes

In theory, I don't have a problem with legacy heroes--by which I mean the custom of having more than one hero with the same name. I'm more than capable of enjoying (for example) Alan Scott, Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner, as well as many other Green Lanterns. (Granted that the Green Lantern corps structure makes GL an easily-legacied role.) It can be a little clumsy, as I think they've even recognized in the comics themselves (when Wildcat's son was introduced, he and his dad had a little discussion about codenames where Wildcat assumed they'd just both go by Wildcat), but generally it's apparent from the context. Well, okay, so one guy in a Flash suit looks pretty much like any other guy in a Flash suit. But it's not a huge problem for me.

However, it can be a problem when the "legacies" are seen less as characters themselves than as adjuncts of older characters. It can make them automatically second-tier heroes purely because they came later. It doesn't have to do this. However.

This interview with Dan Didio has a few statements that make me a little uneasy. Here are a couple of bits from it:

One of the things that we’re doing right now is that we’re looking through our list of character’s origins and are finding what we think is the clearest interpretation and the one that’s the easiest to explain. That way, we can carry on with their stories without getting bogged down with all the continuity that put other characters in their place.

What I’m basically saying is that the defining origin is the one. Think of the Flash – you don’t know Wally or Bart’s origin without Barry’s first. You don’t know Kyle or Guy’s origin without understanding Hal’s origin first.

and then there's this one:

11. So there’s still a role for the second generation characters who took the role while their mentors were not in it?

DD: There will be an enormous role for them moving forward. There’s a big role for them now – Kyle is in Green Lantern Corps, so he’s never been marginalized; Wally and Connor, and even Cassandra Cain will be appearing throughout the year, and will be seen in roles where they really have a chance to shine.

Or be dragged through the mud, depending on how you approach it.

Now, I'm of an age where, by rights, I ought to be a Hal/Barry era fan. However, since I was almost wholly a Marvel girl in my formative years and didn't really get into DC until much later, I am in fact a Kyle/Wally era fan. I've tried to like Hal--well, I don't dislike him, but I just can't muster the interest in the character to want to buy his book. (I'd buy John, I'd buy Guy, I'd buy Kyle. Just can't want to read about Hal enough to spend money on him.) And I do get to see Kyle and Guy in GLC, which is something.

But I don't understand why it is that the Golden Age and Silver Age (and modern) incarnations of these characters seem to be able to coexist with no problems, but the existence of the Silver Age characters seems to preclude any spotlight on the later ones.

Oh noes!

So the husband mentioned that on a mailing list he's on (not comic-related), someone had posted a "Parent Warning" about Batwoman--that she was getting her own comic, and that she was a lesbian who picks up people in bars, and isn't it horrible. Well, first of all I had to correct him--she's taking over Detective for a while IIRC, and as for the bars it doesn't sound familiar, although I don't think I've seen all of her appearances so can't be sure (and don't care).

So...has anyone else encountered this?

A link for those who didn't buy every damn Batman thing recently

There's a ver;y nice Battle for the Cowl Guide up at IGN.

They say that there's nothing new under the sun.

This alternate cover for Battle for the Cowl is pretty nice.

But also...kind of familiar...if you know what I mean.

(As anyone who'd seen the one would immediately notice when they saw the other.)

Still, very nice cover.

My budget likes this direction; me, not so much.

According to this article, Hasbro will continue to make Marvel comics-related toys (modeled on both comic books and movies) through 2017.

Among the lines the article mentions specifically are Superhero Squad and Marvel Universe.

Not mentioned specifically are Marvel Legends.

I find that disappointing and a potentially bad sign for those of us who prefer the 6" figures. Not all that surprising, I suppose, considering that they've already stated their intention of focusing on 4" figures through at least 2009.

So, do I focus on DC figures from now on, then?

---

(Oh, and as for the toy aspect, you'd be surprised at the difference 2" makes between a toy that gets lost easily and a toy that doesn't. But that may be more of a parent concern. :))

Out of things to talk about at the moment

I haven't been watching the Oscars, but apparently a lot of the folks I follow on Twitter were (hi there!). Therefore I know that Heath Ledger won the supporting actor Oscar for his role as the Joker. Haven't seen the movie yet myself; I imagine I will someday. I imagine I'll like it well enough.

Comics for girls!

I wrote a bit a few days ago about the comics I get featuring female characters.

Well, I'm not going to drop Ms. Marvel after all, but that's only because, apparently, Aaron Stack is going to be staying in the book.

And I'll be adding the new Power Girl title. And the new Spider-Woman title.

So...I lose two girl books (She-Hulk and Birds of Prey) and gain three (Power Girl, Spider-Woman and--temporarily--Detective featuring Batwoman). That's something, at least. Although I'm not sure that it makes up for Birds of Prey.

Can it get any better?

Wow.

Is that Wildcat I see on the cover of Battle for the Cowl?

Awesome.

What I Want: The May 09 Marvel Solicitations

HUMAN TORCH COMICS #1 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
Before he became the hero he was created to be, the original Human Torch had to battle his inner demons to stake a claim on the soul he knows he has...and his enemies will stop at nothing to tear him apart to get at the city they want to control. Can he learn to tap into the human side of the Torch, or must he sacrifice himself to save the people he has sworn to protect in this al-new 22 page story? Also included is a bonus 10 page Torch tale from Marvel’s rich history!
MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #1 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
The original Human Torch, Toro, the Sub-Mariner, the Angel and the Ferret team up to prevent Nazi saboteurs and one of the Torch’s earliest foes from creating the ultimate weapon of mass destruction in this all-new 22 page story. Plus another 10 page classic vintage tale from Marvel’s Golden Age!

Because I am a sucker for Golden Age Marvel. Also, "the Ferret?"


MAZING SPIDER-MAN #593
Part Two of "24/7"!
Reeling from the discovery he made last issue -- one that will have a huge impact on the Spider-Universe in the coming months -- Peter Parker withdraws even further into his Spidey identity just in time to come face-to-face (or web-to-wing) with the all-new Vulture!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #594
"24/7" Finale!
Hunted as never before by a newly empowered J. Jonah Jameson--and you won't believe JJJ's new base of operations!-- Spider-Man can't find peace privately or in public! It's time Spidey faced up to the truth behind his 24/7 mission--before it kills him!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #595
The lead-up to Amazing Spider-Man #600 begins here.
Spider-Man editor Stephen Wacker here with a quick message. Look, this solicit is being written before you dear readers even know how CHARACTER ASSASSINATION ends and the major changes that spill out of it, so I can’t tell ya much, but believe me, if you haven’t been keeping up with Spidey...it’s time.
Following immediately on the heels of “24/7”, Spider-Man’s world has become more messed-up and stressful than ever and the fact that his biggest enemy, is in charge of the world...and the Avengers...is only the icing on a really dangerous cake.
Now faced with hard choices about family and friendship, Spider-Man knows exactly what he has to do to save the world...it’s time to take down Norman Osborn.

The fourteen-year-old is still enjoying this one.


MIGHTY AVENGERS #25
What would be the greatest heist of all time? Breaking into the First National Bank? The Tower of London? Fort Knox? No. It'd be knocking over the BAXTER BUILDING! But why would HANK PYM want to rip off MR. FANTASTIC? And are the other AVENGERS ready to become Earth's Mightiest Cat Burglars? Part one of the all-new MIGHTY AVENGERS/FANTASTIC FOUR throwdown starts here!
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #24
THE INITIATIVE: DISASSEMBLED CONTINUES! A Dark Reign has fallen. Norman Osborn has disbanded S.H.I.E.L.D. and shut down Camp Hammond. That leaves the Shadow Initiative out in the cold...stuck in Madripoor with no means of escape, hunted by an army of Hydra agents, including Wolverine's old foes, Bloodscream and Roughhouse! They have no idea if Norman even knows they’re out there, or if they’re better off if he doesn’t! If you thought changing costumes was the biggest event in Taskmaster's career, you cannot miss this issue...
NEW AVENGERS #53
WHO WILL BE THE NEXT SORCERER SUPREME? And will he or she survive the initiation? The Avengers fight a battle that they know will shape the future of the Marvel Universe for years to come!

Avenger-y goodness. Still debating on whether to throw Dark Avengers into the mix.


DARK REIGN: YOUNG AVENGERS #1 (of 5)
The Melter; The Executioner; The Enchantress; Egghead; Big Zero and Coat of Arms: they call themselves the Young Avengers, teenage rebels, on the run from the authorities, hated and feared by a world they've sworn to protect. Their interests include interspecies romance, modern art and bloody murder. Everything is permitted, and so are they. Until they meet the original Young Avengers. And then their grey areas will come home to roost.

Getting this solely because of the potential for actual Young Avenger appearances.


NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION #3 (of 4)
“DOUBLE INDEMNITY”
After last issue’s bombshell revelation, the hits keep coming for Mockingbird and Ronin as they begin their infiltration to stop a weapon of mass destruction from destroying an entire city. Plus, the question that’s been on everyone’s mind, especially Clint’s: What happened to Mockingbird while she was held captive by the Skrulls? Find out here as the Reunion 15 years in the making continues!

Hoping for a good ending to this one.


DEADPOOL #10
“BULLSEYE,” PART 1 OF 3
Norman Osborn is through playing around with Deadpool—it’s time to send in the big guns. The big, crazy guns that never, ever miss. He may be wearing a new costume, but he’s still the same ol’ psychopath...

Always entertaining.


MS. MARVEL #39
The Dark Reign is in full effect. Carol Danvers is dead.
Moonstone has taken on the mantle of Ms. Marvel. And the only hope for the forces of good is...Machine Man?! Brian Reed & Patrick Olliffe kick off a new chapter in the legend of Ms. Marvel!

Okay fine. Machine Man. I'll buy this book for Machine Man.


SPIDER-WOMAN #2
Jessica Drew is back, she is an agent of S.W.O.R.D. and she is hunting one of the people who helped ruin her life. It’s back to sexy, violent Madripoor because the HUNT IS ON!!

Always did like Spider-Woman back in the day, guess I maybe have a chance to see her now.


AVENGERS/INVADERS #11 (of 12)
On the other side of history, chaos reigns. Evil has won and the Fourth Reich now rules the world. Only the combined might of the Avengers, The Invaders and the mysterious new heroes Electro, The Challenger, The Silver Scorpion, The Black Widow, the Black Avenger and Captain Terror have a hope of setting the world right.

I'm just impressed they didn't call it "the penultimate issue."


CAPTAIN AMERICA #50
Bucky Barnes, another man out of time, is the new Captain America now...but today he's trapped in the past, because today is Bucky Barnes' birthday. See Bucky's favorite and least favorite birthdays - from the cold winters of the Depression on military bases, to the front lines of WW2 fighting alongside the Invaders, to his new mission as Cap. Oh yeah, and someone's trying to kill him.

Still good, still getting.


CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 #13
Betrayal runs rampant! Spitfire is offered a high rank in the vampire state—will she take it? Does she have a chance? A traitor is discovered in the ranks of British Intelligence. But what are the chances that he’s the only one. Pete Wisdom’s main concern is keeping his people alive, but with his track record and who they’re up against, it’s not looking good.

Ditto.


MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS #36
BLOCKHEAD PARTY: When the Avengers take some time out of their busy schedules to attend a neighborhood block party / flea market, Tigra discovers a magic necklace and accidentally unleashes an ancient genie that has two goals in mind: giving Tigra her requisite three wishes, and seeking terrible vengeance on the "dire villain" who trapped him in the lamp... a certain ever lovin' blue eyed Thing! Can Tigra simply WISH this problem away? You'd think so, but magic wishes sure do have their way of back-firing! It's a supernatural battle royale, guest-starring the Thing!

For the ten-year-old.

What I Want: The May 09 DC Solicitations

BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL #3
With the destruction of Arkham Asylum, the return of the Black Mask, and dozens of Gotham City’s most lethal villains rioting through the streets, Nightwing, Robin and their allies seem to have their hands full. But when you add a deadly Jason Todd masquerading as a gun-toting Batman to the mix, things have definitely spiraled out of control! This is the issue everyone’s been waiting for – find out who wins the Battle for the Cowl! Who earns the right to take on the mantle of the Bat? Will it be Robin? Jason Todd? Nightwing? Azrael? Catwoman? Two-Face? Damian Wayne? Batwoman? Or someone completely unexpected? This 3-issue series continues to shock and surprise as the battle comes to a startling finale for the ages!

Sounds pretty good--am pleased to see Jason Todd, of course, but "startling finale?" We'll see.


ORACLE #3
The remnants of Anti-Life are within the Calculator’s grasp, and he will kill anyone who stands in his way! Will the Calculator be able to save the life of his daughter? Or will Oracle stop him from killing more Internet hackers? Either way, someone dies and someone gains ultimate knowledge...but at what price? Be here for the stunning conclusion that will change Oracle and the Birds of Prey forever!

So...does this mean that Birds of Prey will be coming back, then?


GREEN LANTERN CORPS #36
Prelude to BLACKEST NIGHT! The penultimate chapter of “Emerald Eclipse” arrives as the sciencell riot runs rampant. Oa burns as the War of Lights rages within. Many sectors away, Sodam Yat must make the ultimate sacrifice as he attempts to save the xenophobic people of his native world Daxam.

Wow, all these preludes to Blackest Night are probably supposed to get me excited for the actual event, but they're actually kind of doing the opposite.



JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #27
The younger JSA team members find their headquarters in total lockdown – with The Flash, Green Lantern and Wildcat trapped inside! Can the junior JSA-ers break into their own home base? And what secret from the Atomic Age seeks retribution from the three founding members?

I hope this keeps being good. I really, really hope it does.


POWER GIRL #1
In her own ongoing series at last! Straight from the pages of JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA, Power Girl starts life anew by building herself a secret identity. But a major villain from her past has other plans in store for the Super Hero, and to get his way, he’s holding Manhattan hostage!

Wheeeee!


TITANS #13
“Deathtrap” part 4! The Titans, Vigilante and now the Teen Titans all get roped into Jericho’s insane plot. Can their combined forces halt their foe’s master plan? This riveting crossover concludes in VIGILANTE #6!

Or maybe I'll just stop getting this until the crossover is done.


SECRET SIX #9
Not one, but two members of the Secret Six feel they deserve to wear Batman's cowl, and they return to Gotham City with a semi-delusional Ragdoll determined to be the new Boy Wonder! Unfortunately, everybody in Gotham has other plans!

Oh, awesome! And I'd pay double the cover price to see Ragdoll in pixie boots!


WONDER WOMAN #32
It's all been building to this issue, the penultimate chapter of the mind-blowing “Rise of the Olympian” storyarc. It’s Wonder Woman vs. Genocide in a final, brutal showdown that leaves Diana with one of the toughest decisions she's ever had to face – and that's just the start of what happens this month! Do not miss this crucial story in the life of the greatest heroine in the DC Universe!

You know, I think I'm actually buying this one for the stories.


SCOOBY-DOO #144
Freddie’s competing at the Golf Wolf Park mini-golf course, a park that’s guaranteed to give you frights, fangs, and flees!

For the ten-year-old.

Believe it or not

I am surprising myself by being kind of interested in the Watchmen movie.

(That means I'm kind of thinking of seeing it whenever it comes out on DVD. Takes more than that to get me into a movie theater!)

I can dream, can't I?

The solicit for Captain America 50 looks very good, but does not look like a return for Steve. I do enjoy the Bucky/Cap issues, but I still don't really think of him as Captain America. And I miss Steve.

I suppose the best of possible worlds, for me, would have two Cap-related books. Perhaps New Cap and Mighty Cap?

It would be silly, but I'd buy them.

Cool!

I just realized there are comics from last month's box that I haven't read yet.

That's kind of a nice surprise!

Saving money, losing feminist cred? (Spoilers for Ms. Marvel and Detective)

I'm thinking about dropping Ms. Marvel when Carol leaves the book.

It isn't that I have any problem with Moonstone taking over the title particularly; in any case I'm not up in arms about it to the point where I'd boycott the book. It's just that I'm not interested enough in her as a character to keep spending the money on it.

It's an economic decision. I'd be willing to keep paying to see Carol every month. I'm not willing to pay to see someone else. Simple as that.

However, this means that (with the cancellation of She-Hulk and Birds of Prey) I'll be down to only one title featuring a female character or characters: Wonder Woman. (Although maybe we can count Detective once Batwoman takes over? I had been planning to drop it after the current storyline, but will stick around for Kate.)

I don't choose my comics based on the gender of the featured character. I tend to choose them based on how interested I am in the featured character. (Story is not unimportant, but if I'm honest I have to admit that it's secondary to who is in the story.) I bought She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel because I like Jennifer and Carol. I'm buying the Oracle mini but might not have been willing to commit to an ongoing (however, I'd buy a Zinda series in a minute!). What I mean is that, while I won't automatically buy a book just because it features a female character, I do have daughters, and it doesn't hurt any.

Still, I can't help noticing these things and am vaguely saddened when they happen. Not saddened enough to keep buying a book about Moonstone. But saddened.

Not in time for Valentine's day, but soon.

Oooh, I just got a notice that my pre-ordered Justice League International Ice action figure has shipped! I'm so looking forward to her arrival!

So, presumably, is our Guy Gardner action figure. :)

This one's a maybe

Browsing the comic sites, I came across this--they're (kind of) bringing back the old L.E.G.I.O.N. book.

I always liked that book. IIRC it was one that my brother got and I'd borrow every so often. (It can be a money-saver to have comic fans for siblings.)

But I might just check this out. For a while, at least.

First impressions count

You know, I read those Outsiders trades, and it occurs to me that if that was how I'd been introduced to the character of Jade, I'd probably have thought she was pretty cool.

But it wasn't. I first encountered her in Green Lantern. Where she suffered from a bad case of Girlfriend Syndrome. (And, eventually, a case of Bad Girlfriend Syndrome.)

Why I (probably) won't switch

So I mentioned to the husband that according to the net, Hasbro was planning to focus on 3 3/4" figures for the next year. Apart from agreeing with my initial reaction of "Well, why'd they take on the 6" Marvel Legends line if they're not comfortable with it?" his response was "Are you planning on switching over?"

The answer there is, I think, no. I actually did consider it for half a moment--the little figures are awfully cute, after all--but no. Here's why, kind of:


Pros of switching to 3 3/4" scale figures:

1. There are, apparently, lines featuring both Marvel and DC characters that are to the 3 3/4" scale. Since our figures are actually played with, being able to have Captain America and Batman team up without one towering over the other would be a plus.

2. Being smaller, they would presumably be cheaper, which would presumably enable me to have more of them.

3. They all appear to be fairly playable--they're toys, as opposed to some of the 6" DC Direct figures which are difficult to pose in different ways.

4. They may be the dominant scale in the future, at least for playable figures. Switching now would get me a head start on the potentially-inevitable. Also, at least with regard to DC's Mattel line, they might decide to make accessories, as they have with the JLU cartoon-based line of figures.


Pros of sticking with the 6" scale figures:

1. I already have a TON of them, counting Marvel Legends, DC Universe Classics, and the usually-close-enough-to-6-inches DC Direct line. Since our figures are actually played with, changing would mean that one group or the other gets ignored--because they play together--which would be sad. (Really this "already invested time and money in the 6" figures" argument is pretty important.)

2. From what I've seen online the smaller figures aren't as much cheaper as you'd think. And I've done pretty well finding bargains on the 6" figures.

3. Larger figures very likely allow for more jointing and therefore more playability. (Aside from the DC Direct line, of course, which has The Pretty to make up for that.) Also, although the pics I've seen of the smaller figures show excellent detailing, the potential is still there for greater detailing at the 6" scale.

3a. My eyes aren't as good as they used to be, and if I'm going to be able to enjoy looking at the figures from any further than a few feet away, the smaller ones won't cut it.

4. Since 6" is also the scale used for a lot of other dolls and dollhouses, the 6" scale figures are able to make use of different bits of furniture and accessories. (The fourteen-year-old found them a very nice pool table, for example.)


Of course that doesn't discount the possibility of my buying the occasional 3 3/4" figure if it's a character of particular interest to me. But, as with the Invaders minimates I had to have, I imagine I won't know quite what to do with those, either.

What I'll be wanting in the future

Been reading some of the news from NYCC. My thoughts on some of what was announced about upcoming Marvel stuff:


Brevoort discussed The Marvels Project, by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. Starting in June, it explores the early history of the Marvel Universe and the "true origins" of the Marvel Golden Age characters

This, I'm looking forward to. A lot. A huge lot.


Eliopoulos introduced a slide of Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers, starring the Inhumans character, Lockheed, Redwing, Speedball's cat Niels and others. "There's a new frog Thor, and we'll tell his origin in the first issue."

I, um, assume this is a kids' book? The ten-year-old loves animals, particularly cats, so if so we might give this a try, believe it or not.


Any chance of seeing Dan Slott on a new She-Hulk title? "Fred Van Lente is going to be doing an awesome new She-Hulk mini," said Slott.

Sigh. A mini does not replace an ongoing.

Cursing the darkness?

So, with regard to Marvel, does everything "Dark [blank]" mean that the [blank] isn't the real [blank], but some replacement character?

I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

Sick day

No post today, I've got the stomach flu.

So, you know, good thing I hadn't been going to NYCC anyway! :)

Staying home isn't so bad

I've never had much interest in going to a comic convention. Sure, there's cool stuff going on there, and probably more opportunity for spending money than I'd find anywhere else in the world, but there are also crowds, and lines, and many ways to get lost. So no, I won't be showing up at a con.

But I still look forward to them.

Because even those of us who stay at home (happily or otherwise) get to hear some of the newest news.

For example, I now know, thanks to this article, that I'll be spending my action figure money pretty much entirely on DC figures this year. And that I'd best not get my hopes up for a Marvel Legends Winter Soldier. :(

We're number 1!

Today I saw a reference to the upcoming Thor #600.

I've never been a reader of Thor. Just never got into it--he was too powerful, perhaps, for my plebeian comic sensibilities. Liked him fine in The Avengers, though.

What struck me was the issue number. 600.

Marvel ought to have a few titles with high numbers these days. High numbers are good, right? High numbers mean long-term success.

But how many comics that ought to have high numbers actually do? How many, on the other hand, have been reset to #1, sometimes more than once?

(Although that was a rhetorical question, if anyone has actual answers to it I'd be curious to hear them. :))

I suppose part of this is the old collector in me, subconsciously wondering how I'm supposed to organize my longbox when not all the issues of a title are numbered sequentially.

But part of it is just that if a comic is going to restart at #1, it ought to be for some significant reason. And in the long run, it almost never is.

They made a comic about that?

http://comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=2003&disp=table

Whoa, there's a comic based on those old Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns?

I've never bought a western comic in my life, but might consider this if and when it comes out in trade form.

So I don't only ever think about comics

I keep finding myself wanting to write a bit about that whole "angry Christian Bale" audio thing that's been making the rounds, but haven't really been able to justify it--it's not really a comic-related topic, after all. Apart from Bale having played Batman in a movie I haven't seen yet. But for some reason this thing has been bothering me--and I'm not usually one to care about what celebrities get up to on their own time.

But here's what I ended up talking with the kids about last night.

You can tell a lot about a person's character by the way they treat the people they don't have to be nice to. The people they have power over.

See, a person can be unfailingly pleasant to his social equals. He can give money to the United Way, volunteer at the local soup kitchen, drive a hybrid car, and adopt all his pets from animal shelters. He can be a model citizen.

But if he yells at the cashier at the grocery store because she missed one of his coupons? Screams at his secretary if she forgets the second sugar in his coffee? Humiliates a subordinate who made a mistake? Well, regardless of everything in that last paragraph, he's not a nice person, and he's not a good person.

I will grant that I don't know the whole story behind the Bale incident. Maybe he was having a really bad day and this was the last in a long series of incidents that set him off. Maybe this guy made a habit of making that same error and this was the last straw. Or maybe it's something the guy really should have known better than to do. But you know what? It doesn't matter. Unless what he did was truly reprehensible (say, skeet-shooting with live kittens in place of clay pigeons), there's no reason for that sort of cruel, uncontrolled (and lengthy) tirade. "I was mad" is not an excuse.

Or maybe I just come from a kinder and more civilized world. (Gets off of high horse due to fear of nosebleeds.)

In any case, it gave me the opportunity to deliver some Wise Parental Advice, and that's never a bad thing.

Why do I complain about the weather when I can't do anything about it?

My comics were supposed to arrive today.

However, the delivery has been rescheduled for tomorrow.

Damn winter, with its impassable roads and zero visibility conditions. Sure, they can't bring me my comics, but they make the kids go to school in this stuff!

Darn it.

Apparently I'm going to have to pick up the Legion of Three Worlds storyline however it appears in trade form.

I just keep getting sucked into these things, don't I?

More on digital comics and their uses

So no sooner do I write yesterday's post, then I come across this:

Ambidextrous 284: Yes, I Hate Digital Comics

all about the economy's effect on comic sales and how publishing digitally may make it possible for some smaller publishers to survive.

I'm not really the audience for this article. In fact, I'm more of the type of comic reader the article neatly defines like so:

A significant number of people reading serialized comics are perfectly happy to keep reading the same books and characters they’ve always read month after month and year after year.

And that's basically true.

However, I suspect I'd be more likely to try something new once in a while if all it involved was going online and clicking a button (and, of course, a quick visit to Paypal) and lo and behold, something new to read! As opposed to ordering it sight unseen months ahead of time. It might be different if I had a local comic shop to browse, but I don't. But the opportunity to have an online comic shop that I could browse, that might get me to loosen my pursestrings a bit.